About us

The world’s biggest international organisations rely on us to help them make the right decisions in a fast-changing world. We combine the knowledge, experience and energy of the whole firm to solve our clients’ most complex challenges, wherever and whenever they arise.

A finance partner based in our New York office, Brian is known for his deep knowledge of the laws that impact the financial industry, including securities, commodities, banking, commercial and insolvency laws.

Brian represents commercial and investment banks, insurance companies, managed investment funds and other financial institutions in a wide variety of domestic and international financial and corporate transactions, such as complex structured financings, commercial bank and other private financings, institutional private placements and debt-to-equity conversions.

In particular, Brian has been instrumental in developing new commercial and retail financial products, structuring investment funds and creating a derivatives product vehicle for a major New York bank.

Advising Amtek Auto, an Indian integrated components manufacturer, on its acquisition of the Neumayer Tekfor Group, an German automotive component supplier that filed for insolvency and then went through a large protective shield process (Schutzschirmverfahren).

Advising Klöckner Pentaplast on its financial restructuring in the context of which Strategic Value Partners acquired a majority stake.

Advising Citibank and its affiliates in connection with a sale of approximately $12bn outstanding principal amount of leveraged loans to several private equity funds advised by Apollo Management, GSO Partners, Texas Pacific Group and TPG-Axon.

Advising Morgan Stanley in connection with its provision of credit facilities to four new vehicles formed by funds managed by Thomas H. Lee, Bain Capital, Silver Lake Partners and Quadrangle, with the proceeds being used to purchase from Morgan Stanley over $10bn of debt facilities previously made available to several private equity-owned borrowers.

Advising JPMorgan Chase in connection with the commodity financing of the Peruvian subsidiary of a large Brazilian mining company.

Advising Société Générale in connection with a $500m synthetic bond buyback to be effected by a large US bank holding company.

Advising Chicago Fundamental Investment Partners on a newly formed special purpose vehicle, formed to invest in a portfolio of $400m of syndicated bank loans, with financing provided by Goldman Sachs through a credit default swap for the benefit of a balance sheet provider.

Advising Morgan Stanley on the sale and financing of various leveraged loans, including the sale and financing of a $300m leveraged loan with three separate private equity funds managed by Apollo Management as counterparties.

Advising Goldman Sachs in connection with the development of template confirmations for credit default swaps with reference obligations consisting of credit card-backed securities and student loan-backed securities.

Advising Citibank in connection with a syndicated total return swap program (together with related back-to-back swaps with members of various underwriting syndicates) entered into with a fund managed by KKR.

New York

Profile quotations

Brian Rance is described by interviewees as a ‘very hands-on transactional partner.’ He advises financial institutions on a broad range of securitization deals, as well as complex structured financings and debt/equity swaps.

Chambers USA 2016

Brian Rance is held in high regard for his CLO transactional work. Clients particularly praise his technical knowledge.

Chambers Global 2016, Chambers USA 2015

Brian Rance of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP maintains a diverse and dynamic practice with expertise in derivatives and structured products. Sources say: ‘He is methodical and clearly knows the products well. He is practical and knowledgeable.’

Chambers Global 2015

Brian Rance is a respected choice to advise clients on structured financing transactions. Sources note that he is ‘highly creative’ and ‘thinks through the business aspects.’